


romeo and juliet (we are not)

by OnyxSphynx



Series: newmann one-shots [34]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Professors, Fluff, M/M, ish, lowkey set in the dcu....
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-26 01:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18273008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnyxSphynx/pseuds/OnyxSphynx
Summary: Hermann Gottlieb would be content, if not for his colleague, Newton Geiszler, who insists on scaring the students with ghost stories





	romeo and juliet (we are not)

**Author's Note:**

> anon asked: "Ooh there are a lot of good prompts on that new list for newmann... would you consider either “Romeo and Juliet of the math and English(bio) departments” and/or “You’re the school dork and and I’m the school jock and fuck you can see where this is going?” 💕"
> 
> I went with the romeo/juliet one...just not quite lol

Gotham Community College is a dark and imposing building; the architecture is gothic, the walls darkened with decades of dust, and imposing gargoyles crouch on the outside. Rumours have it that, if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll get trapped in the labyrinthine corridors.

Baseless rubbish, of course—Hermann knows, for a fact, that there are hall monitors that are tasked to guide lost students; it’s unlikely, nigh impossible to become trapped within thee school.

“—the ghost of Hermann Gottlieb,” Geiszler pauses dramatically. “He was trapped here years and years ago, and sometimes, if you listen really hard—”

Hermann sighs as he catches the tail-end of the conversation. “Doctor Geiszler,” he calls sternly, tamping down a smug smile when the other practically jumps out of his skin. “Please, stop telling the students I’m dead. And I’ve asked you not to refer to me by my first name in front of others. I am a doctor with over ten years of decorated—”

Geiszler cuts him off. “Oh, yes, ten years, I’m so very sorry!” He turns back to the gaggle of students. “Ignore Hermann, he’s just a grump.”

“Geiszler,” Hermann hisses, and the other rolls his eyes.

“Alright, alright,” he huffs, “c’mon, guys. See you,  _Doc_.” He winks and bounds down the hall. Hermann lets out a long-suffering sigh.  _Geiszler_ , he thinks derisively. The man is altogether too immature for his position—he wears  _ripped jeans_ , for god’s sake. Regardless, something about the man draws him in, like the size of his ego has generated its own gravity field.

 _Quite likely, actually_ , Hermann muses internally, lips curling at the corners. It’s…charming, if one looks at it from a certain point, he supposes.

* * *

 

“You are  _not_ ,” Tendo says, rolling his eyes. Newt pouts.

“C’mon, man,” he whines, “we are  _totally_ the Romeo and Juliet of the Math and Biology departments.”

Tendo takes another bite out of his bagel, and says, as if explaining to a small child that the sky is, indeed, blue, “Newt, he  _hates_ you. And you hate  _him_.”

“That’s what you  _think_ ,” Newt shoots back, wagging his finger at the IT professor. “You’ll see—I’m gonna have him swooning at my feet by the end of the year.”

Tendo’s sigh is only half-hearted. “Didn’t Romeo and Juliet  _die?_ ” he questions, “I mean, not to put a damper in your fun, dude, but, uh…”

“What—? No!” Newt exclaims. “Look, we’re Romeo and Juliet, minus the dying.”

“Then it’s not Romeo and Juliet, is it?” Tendo points out. Newt frowns at him and turns away from him.

“Whatever, dude,” he huffs. “You’ll see—I’m gonna woo him so damn good.”

See, the thing is.

The thing is.

Newt’s got…well, he’s got a  _crush_ on Hermann. Big time. And, well. He kind of wants to impress the guy.

So he does some research on courting.

“Well,” he announces to the empty room, “this is fucking useless. Who the hell establishes rules like “the courter cannot remain alone with the object of the courting for any period of time”? What the hell.”

So he scraps that and goes with Plan B.

Plan B is…cheesy. Cliched.

* * *

 

“What are these?” Hermann asks flatly, eying Newt like he’s contagious.

“Flowers, dude!” Newt beams, shoving them at the mathematician. “For you!”

Hermann frowns. “Whatever for?”

Newt resists the urge to bang his head against the wall. “For. You. From. Me,” he says, slowly. “As in, I’m asking you out. As in, for a date.”

Hermann blinks at him rapidly. “…what.”

“Well?” Newt asks, getting impatient. “Yes, no, maybe? Or, even “go to hell”? I need an answer, dude.”

Hermann’s silent for a moment, before he says, “Flowers are a cheap method of seduction, Newton. You’re going to have to try harder than that.” Then he strides away.

Newt grins and punches the air the moment he’s out of earshot.  _He called me Newton!_ he cheers internally.

Aloud, he says, “You’re on, dude. I’m gonna impress the  _fuck_ outta you.”


End file.
